Lizzie Borden Society Forum

Yes:

You are talking about Fall River Author Arnold Brown, who wrote the book, LIZZIE BORDEN THE LEGNED, THE TRUTH, THE FINAL CHAPTER.

Now, say what you may about Arnold Browns credibility, but his account is a fascinating read........that is, if you set out to read it as FICTION.

He does a very good job inserting the pieces together and make it work. Though some of his research is based on truth, there is very little of it. Much of it has its roots in "he said, she said."

I read the account when it was first published and attained my signed copy right from Mr. Arnold's hands. Having met Mr.Brown gave me the impression that here was an honest man. He appeared to be kind, soft spoken and sincere. Meeting him made the book much more believable.(Mr. Brown died several years ago)

But, if one knows enough about the case, and you read it with a critical mind, there are too many improbabilities......just to good to be believed.

Though Billy Borden did exist (I have a photo of his home in the Taunton area somewhere in my picture file) and that he probably hung himself, there is not proof to Arnold Browns accounts.

To any Borden student on the crime, it is a must read, if only for comical relief. Though many don't find it very funny, and have very strong sentiments about Brown's book.

Mr. Arnie's book sold well. Well enough to make it to paperback.

Yes, that must have been the book. I remember thinking "oh, come the [bleep] on" many times as the author tried to make his case.

So Billy Borden "did exist," but there were a lot of Bordens in that area. Was he Andrew's son?

Wasn't proven, that while Billy was Andrews son, that he wasn't in the area at the time of the murder? My information might be wrong or something. Remember reading something to that affect, that he was pretty much ruled out as a suspect.

Arnold Brown's theory about William S. Borden was that Ellen Eagan (a lady who got sick probably in the Borden's back yard about the time of one of the murders) - probably saw William S. Borden at the same place/same time. She described him to the cops and was then told to never tell anyone about it.

The ice cream peddler, Hyman Lubinsky, was out and about selling his wares just then too, and he saw what was probably Ellen Eagan in the Borden's back yard. He testified at the Prelim. or the trial, and he spoke poor English. As I recollect, the court pretty much waved him away.

William S. Borden was born on April 20, 1854. His wife was Rebecca Gammons, and he married her when he was 20. He was working as a peddler and laborer at that time. He and his wife lived with her family from 1872 - 1902, except for him moving twice during that time frame.

William spent the year of 1875 in the Taunton Lunatic Asylum. On April 17, 1901 he committed suicide by hanging himself from a tree on New Boston Road in Fall River.

(Sources: "Lizzie Borden, Past & Present: by Leonard Rebellow, pages 130, 131, 374, and personal conversations with a city official of Fall River.)

Nobody has yet to find any shred of proof that he was Andrew's son.

LizbethTurner wrote:I forget the title of the book that postulated that the murders were committed by Andrew's son by another woman. (I don't want to call the boy "illegitimate," because people are not illegitimate. Except for one of my neighbors, that is. )

How much actual evidence is there that this boy was Andrew's son? Is there a birth certificate or even correspondence between the major players that corroborates that? Because the idea of Andrew being carried away by passion does not feel right to me.

If the son did exist, do we have any solid basis for a motive for the murders? Did he have means and opportunity?

I saw the death certificate for William S. Borden and it listed Charles L. Borden. Wasn't Charles the brother of Andrew? The only thing I could find was that William loved to go around telling people he was the son of Andrew, his wait for wealth wasn't long, etc.

I didn't think Andrew had any surviving brothers. ( He might have had some that died as babies. I think he had two sisters, one married to a Harrington who gave an interview to the Press after she was arrested, lying that he'd seen Lizzie the evening after the murder at the Borden home. He aired some dirty linen in the interview about Lizzie being strange and uncaring, and being rather unpleasant about the Borden family dynamics!